Old Qin stood to the side, utterly dumbfounded. What kind of people were these?

They wouldn't even spare a dead man's pants?

He looked at the little girl again, only to see that she had also stripped the two women's corpses completely bare.

Old Qin's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

Bandits!

This was definitely a gang of bandits.

That was Old Qin's immediate thought.

At that moment, Song Xiaodao was holding two bras in her hands, her little brows furrowed as she said to Zhao Yin, "They're too big. I can't wear them right now. Why did they have to grow so big?"

"It's not that they're big. It's that you're too small." Zhao Yin glanced at her flat chest.

"Oh, right! It's because I'm too young. When I grow up, I'll be able to wear such pretty bras!"

Song Xiaodao completely misunderstood Zhao Yin's words. She immediately shouted at him, "Zhao Yin, Zhao Yin! Quickly help me put these clothes into your Spatial Ring!"

The recent Star Crystals hadn't yielded any pants at all, as if Zhao Yin was naturally fated to have no connection with trousers.

His pants and shoes suffered damage every day, and he didn't have many left.

He looked at the pile of pants, shoes, and socks on the ground, collected them all with satisfaction, and only then said to Song Xiaodao, "Go find Old Bull. Let it carry all your things."

"No way! Old Bull has to fight zombies. What if they get damaged?" Song Xiaodao clutched the two bras she cared about most and that pair of torn pantyhose.

The other clothes were piled on the ground.

"You want these things?" Zhao Yin glanced at her flat chest. "What use are they?"

Song Xiaodao's little face immediately flushed red. "I'm almost twelve years old! I'll grow up very soon. Are you going to help me put them away or not?"

On this matter, the little girl was not prepared to compromise.

Zhao Yin shook his head, too lazy to argue further.

He still walked over and helped her collect everything.

Immediately after, Zhao Yin's gaze fell on the large iron basin on the ground. Collected!

Perfect for Little Monkey and Song Xiaodao to use for bathing.

He then spotted a rice cooker's inner pot, picked it up, and measured it against his head. It would make a decent helmet.

The only problem was that it would cover his eyes when worn. So he took out the Mountain-Cleaving Machete, carved out an opening for his face, and put it directly on his head.

"Not bad, right?" Zhao Yin asked Song Xiaodao.

Song Xiaodao immediately nodded. "Very handsome!"

"When a person is handsome, they look good wearing any helmet." Zhao Yin nodded.

Little Monkey and Old Bull also nodded together, expressing strong agreement.

This pot-helmet would have no problem blocking attacks from ordinary zombies.

If he'd had this helmet last night, Zhao Yin wouldn't have been injured so badly.

There was nothing else Zhao Yin needed in the Tunnel. He looked around, and finally his gaze fell on Old Qin's face. His expression immediately darkened. "Where is the corn?"

"What?"

The sudden question caught Old Qin off guard.

"The corn. The food you people usually eat!" Zhao Yin demanded.

"They only gave me urine to drink. I ate the maggots on rotting meat... Oh, there really is corn inside the Tunnel... a Corn Tree!" Old Qin stammered.

He wasn't even afraid of death anymore, but for some reason, facing this man made him nervous.

Hearing this, Zhao Yin turned and walked toward the depths of the Tunnel. Little Monkey and Old Bull hurried after him.

"Zhao Yin, wait for me!" Song Xiaodao followed.

Only Old Qin was left behind. He stood there in a daze, hesitating whether he should follow.

But he wasn't familiar with them, and that man didn't look approachable.

What if they thought he harbored ill intentions?

But if he didn't follow, where else could he go?

...

Zhao Yin quickly found the corn-or more accurately, the Corn Tree.

The main trunk was thicker than a water bucket, fully as tall as a five-story building.

Its branches and leaves were dense, like a towering giant tree, reaching straight to the roof of the Tunnel.

Zhao Yin counted. There were forty-eight corn cobs growing on the tree.

One spot showed signs of being picked. Zhao Yin guessed it was related to the corn husk discarded by Manager Wei and the others.

He used the Eye of True Sight to inspect the Corn Tree from top to root.

[Corn: F-Rank Mutant Crop, rich in nutrients, countdown to maturity: 52 hours]

[Corn: F-Rank Mutant Crop, rich in nutrients, countdown to maturity: 61 hours]

[Corn... countdown to maturity: 49 hours]

[Corn Stalk: F-Rank Mutant Plant]

This Corn Tree didn't grow crops with two different effects like the Chestnut Tree.

But that was normal. Having lived two lifetimes, Zhao Yin had only ever seen the Chestnut Tree being that peculiar.

Little Monkey excitedly raised its head, staring at the corn cobs overhead, drool dripping as it prepared to climb up.

"Wait!"

Zhao Yin stopped it. "These aren't mature yet. We need to wait a few more days."

Little Monkey could only climb down in disappointment, occasionally looking up, its eyes fixed on the corn cobs.

"Zhao Yin, are we going to wait here for a few days?" Song Xiaodao asked.

The latest corn cob would need three days to mature. In those three days, the Chestnuts consumed by the two mutant beasts would far exceed the value of forty-eight corn cobs.

"The corn isn't for eating. Once mature, they're seeds!" Zhao Yin explained.

He didn't lack food right now. What he lacked was variety.

"We'll wait three days and rest here."

With that, Zhao Yin led everyone toward the Tunnel exit, planning to find a spacious spot to set up the Invisibility Tent.

Passing by the entrance, Zhao Yin saw Old Qin still standing there.

"You haven't left yet?" Zhao Yin asked, surprised.

Facing Zhao Yin, Old Qin was restrained. Subconsciously, just like before the apocalypse, he bowed slightly. "Little brother, I don't know where else I can go. In the future, could you let me follow-"

"No."

Zhao Yin refused flatly before Old Qin could finish.

He had seen too many of this type in his previous life. Countless survivors who couldn't make it on their own.

They would attach themselves to the strong like lapdogs, hoping to find shelter. But the moment danger came, they ran faster than anyone.

Old Qin's face instantly turned ashen.

After a long moment, he nodded. "Understood."

He didn't linger, turning to leave.

"You're just going to leave like that?" Zhao Yin was slightly surprised.

Old Qin turned back. "Little brother, do you have any other orders?"

"The pants and shoes are decent. Take them off." Zhao Yin commanded directly.

"..."

Cold sweat broke out on Old Qin's forehead.

He smiled bitterly. He didn't understand why such a powerful man was so obsessed with pants, but he could only obey and strip them off.

Zhao Yin took them and waved his hand. "Go."

They were old army-style cloth shoes. The size looked perfect for Zhao Yin. In the apocalypse, this kind of durable footwear was far more practical than ordinary sneakers.

Zhao Yin had killed Manager Wei and the others and taken the Tunnel. By the rules, Old Qin was his captive-including the clothes on his back.

Old Qin slowly walked out of the Tunnel. He felt no gratitude toward Zhao Yin, nor hatred.

A pair of pants and shoes in exchange for a life that even Old Qin didn't think had any value left. Of course, Zhao Yin hadn't saved him out of kindness-he'd simply happened to kill his enemies.

When Old Qin reached the entrance, he saw the spot where they used to cook. He pointed at a kitchen knife. "Can I take this?"

Zhao Yin said nothing, just nodded.

Old Qin grabbed the knife and stepped out of the Tunnel. Under the dim yellow sunlight, wearing only briefs, his legs were pale white.

"Squeak squeak... Master, he's a good person. I want to share some of my Chestnuts with him." Little Monkey suddenly tugged at the corner of Zhao Yin's clothes.

"You don't even have enough Chestnuts for yourself, and you want to give them to him?" Zhao Yin frowned.

"Give them to him. He helped me," Little Monkey said with a determined inner voice.

When Old Qin had stepped in to help, Little Monkey had been unconscious, but a mutant beast's powerful perception had still allowed it to sense what happened.

Actually, Zhao Yin didn't want to occupy this Tunnel, nor did he absolutely need to drive Old Qin away. He was mainly worried that an outsider would secretly eat his corn.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yin took out five Chestnuts, along with a handgun and fifty rounds of ammunition, and handed them to Song Xiaodao. "Take these to him. Tell him the gun is for dealing with survivors. Firing it randomly will attract zombies."

Song Xiaodao took the items and ran after him.

Zhao Yin chose a flat spot at the Tunnel entrance, raised his hand, and released the Invisibility Tent.

Then he took out the Golden Thread Fruit. "Monkey, you protected Old Bull and Xiaodao well this time. This is your reward."